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Month: May 2011

Yesterday was one of the saddest, yet scariest days in our nation’s history. Barack Obama has called for Israel to return to her 1967 borders. It was one of the most heinous acts a Head of State could do to another one – Calling to give up land that they have fought and died for. Regardless of reason, Obama had no right to call for such an act. The fact that Obama is peering into “Israel’s “backyard” should cause great concern for Christians. Why? Genesis 12:3 comes to mind. This where God has said to Abram (Abraham), “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you, and through you all the families of the Earth will be blessed”.

The fact that Obama is calling for this is in direct violation of Scripture. He is bringing the last piece of the “puzzle of judgement” onto our country. Who brought the first? We did. We neglected our duty to steward our rights and freedoms because we have been taught erroneously that since we are “not of this world” what goes on here, doesn’t matter. To the contrary, not only does it matter, Obama will not be held accountable – we will. Why won’t Obama be held accountable? He didn’t elect himself. We did. If you stood silently and not called out evil as it was presented, you are just as guilty as those who were deceived and voted for him. Most pastors in America would fall into the former category. They have the means, the opportunity and the duty to communicate the message to examine a candidate’s worldview in light of Scripture. Sadly, most failed at that job. They make safe statements such as “Vote the Bible”. Letting themselves off the hook since they would not have to study to show themselves approved. They can say to themselves, “I didn’t vote for him. I’m OK”. Nothing could be further from the truth.

What we have experienced in the last 2 1/2 years is the judgement of God. Why? In I Samuel 8 the priests, not the politicians were corrupt and the men of the city – those who had the ability to choose, said to Samuel, “Give us a king, so we can be like the other nations”. It is in verse 7 that God says, “And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.” I go into this a little further in my post “God or King: Which Do You Prefer?”

We have brought judgment upon ourselves. No matter how many times you recite 2 Chronicles 7:14 as a Christian or pull Psalms 109:8 out of context as a Conservative, repentance has been – and will be the order of the day. Repentance is like order – Neither of them flow from the bottom up. If Abraham Lincoln called for national repentance to heal our land due to the Civil War, then it is no different today. Government officials at the State and National levels need to step up and repent and call on God to restore our land. But how can they call on a God that most of them don’t even know. Is it because that the people who sent them there don’t know God for themselves, so they elect representatives that think and act like they do? As it states in Romans 10:14, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?”

The Church in America must understand that 2 Chronicles 7:14 as well as Proverbs 29:2 go hand in hand. When you do one without the other, that is when we have become out of balance. It is prayer and works together that will not only bring healing to our land, it will bring restoration to our souls.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Solomon said, “There is no new thing under the sun” (see Ecclesiastes 1:9). Which simply means, that regardless of the “clothing” or the “package” it comes in, it has been on the Earth before in one shape or another before you arrived. How I find it fascinating the Bible is no different. In Genesis 6, the Earth was corrupt and filled with violence (v.11), no different from it is now. Not sure? How difficult is it to find a person of integrity? A person that you can actually trust? This is a truth at one time even God Himself had a problem doing; to the point he regretted creating mankind (see Genesis 6:6). However, He found Noah. As imperfect as he was, he was trying to live for God. This is why perfection is never what God is looking for. What He always is looking for is obedience.

Noah heard what God wanted to do, and decided to obey Him and build an ark. While Noah was building the ark, he preached repentance (see II Peter 2:5) in his time. No different from ours, I as well as you the reader, are preaching repentance albeit in a different style and a different audience; However, the message of repentance is the same. More important than the message is our reaction to God when He speaks. He is looking for the same thing in our day as He did in Noah’s day – obedience. What is also fascinating is that even though Scripture makes no mention of it, it is fairly safe to assume that there were governments in the land that established law and order. Jesus said in Matthew 24: 38: “For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark…”. You can’t have marriage without some sort of law and order to acknowledge the marriage. So it would be safe to say that the governments were corrupt also. Why? Because governments are made up of people who pass and enforce laws based on the worldview of the leaders and the populace’s agreement to it – be it vocal or silent. Governments are no different in our day as they were in Noah’s, insomuch as laws that are being passed are based on the leader’s worldview.

The difference today is that we choose that worldview instead of having it thrust upon us. The issue today has taken on a different twist. In our system of government where we would believe “A man’s word is his bond” is no more. Potential leader’s worldviews have come to us in a “Trojan Horse” of sorts. Over the years the Trojan Horse has become more crude and less sophisticated. Why? It is because we as the Church in America, have collectively a lower threshold of discernment of what is evil. The reason why that is can be found in our pulpits. What is being preached behind the sacred desk? That we have to be vigilant against the wiles of the devil? Perhaps in some. However, the overwhelming majority of them are preaching “How to get your (fill in the blank)”. It is at its core, a gospel of self – pure and simple. Since governments are made up of people, how can we can get mad at them, when their makeup is a representation of those who sent them there? It was not done by coercion, nor by edict, but by our choice (vote). It is in this same manner, coupled with repentance – as always from the top down, that we will see not only a transformation in our churches, but a reformation in our governments.

I am very aware of eschatology and that Scripture makes no mention of America. However consider this: It is easier to preach the Gospel under a canopy of freedom, than a curtain of tyranny. When you look at countries outside of this one where people are being killed for their faith in the most heinous of ways, it should give you a new level of appreciation of where you live. I am not stating a case that God will preserve America forever, even if we as nation do repent. We will still have to answer to God for the sins we have committed as a nation. If we as a Church body, can repent of our preaching choice, our listening choice, and our voting choice we may have enough time to get one more person into the Ark (Jesus).

Time is running out fast. The door of the Ark is closing. This is one “boat” you don’t want to miss.

In my last post, I wrote about the uncomfortable silence that is prevalent in the American Church. Since most people should know that your silence on a matter is you unspoken agreement to a situation. I was perusing Facebook and You Tube just to see what are other people are posting, I came across some very disturbing video. These were men preaching the Gospel and being arrested for it. I touched upon this in my post Sharia Law in America – Is it Possible: YES! It has now moved from being an isolated case in Dearborn, MI., to Athens, GA., to now Hemet, CA. where a street preacher was arrested for preaching the Gospel at a Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) location. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) arrested the preacher, did not read him his Miranda rights (not on camera, at least), placed him in the back of his police cruiser and then threatened his friends with arrest if they did not leave the area. Below is video of the incident.

Janet Porter (Folger) founder of the group Faith 2 Action, wrote a book in 2005 called, “The Criminalization of Christianity“. She wrote that this day would happen. She was laughed at until scorn – as am I. Soon no one will be laughing. When MTV aired a “Police State” video, it should have been heeded as a blaring alarm that this is the direction that we as nation are headed. Here is the video they aired:

The signs are around us. The catching away is imminent. However, if by Divine Providence that the rapture does not happen soon, some of the things we as American will face are:

The suspension of the Constitution.

The implementation of martial law.

The making of Christianity illegal (except in State-Sponsored churches).

The systematic persecution and killing of Christians whose sole crime is that they preach/live the Gospel (outside of the State sponsored arena).

The forced allegiance to the State controlled government and execution for those who don’t.

This is not a game. This is not a “What if” scenario. These are not even possibilities. These are probabilities. The only possibility is will the Church in America be here when – not if it happens. We need to repent as never before – starting with Church Leadership as never before. We need to take back control of our rights and freedoms as never before, so that the Gospel can be preached like never before. If there is a time for the Church in America to stand up and speak up, this is it. The government, led by the hordes of Hell are coming for us. Your response today will seal your fate for you and your children tomorrow.

If “Silence is Golden” then by all accounts the Church in America should be richer than Solomon.